QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

HOME  |   SEARCH  |   ARCHIVE  |   SUBSCRIBE  |   CONTACT  |   HELP

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Submit an eLetter Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Web of Science (46) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Lunn, K. F. Articles by Duncan, I. D. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Lunn, K. F. Articles by Duncan, I. D. Pubmed/NCBI databases Compound via MeSH Substance via MeSH

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Volume 17, Number 13, Issue of July 1, 1997 pp. 4921-4932
Copyright ©1997 Society for Neuroscience

Microtubule Organization and Stability in the Oligodendrocyte

Received Jan. 27, 1997; revised April 9, 1997; accepted April 11, 1997.

Katharine F. Lunn^{1, 2}, Peter W. Baas³, and Ian D. Duncan¹

¹ Department of Medical Sciences, ² Neuroscience Training Program, and ³ Department of Anatomy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706

The oligodendrocyte is the glial cell responsible for the formation and maintenance of CNS myelin. Because the development of neuronal morphology is known to depend on the presence of highly organized microtubule arrays, it may be hypothesized that the properties of microtubules influence the form and function of oligodendrocytes. The goals of the present study were to define the physical attributes of microtubules in oligodendrocytes maintained in vitro. The results of electron and confocal microscopy indicate that microtubules are present throughout the cell bodies and large and small processes of oligodendrocytes and are rarely associated with discrete microtubule-organizing centers. A modified "hooking" protocol demonstrated that the polarity orientation of microtubules is uniformly plus-end distal in small oligodendrocyte processes, compared with a nonuniform, predominantly plus-end distal orientation in large processes. Oligodendrocytes were exposed to the microtubule-depolymerizing drug nocodazole to examine microtubule stability in these cells. The results suggest that oligodendrocyte microtubules can be resolved into at least three distinct microtubule populations that differ in their kinetics of depolymerization in the presence of nocodazole. These findings suggest that the properties of the oligodendrocyte microtubule array reflect the functions of the different regions of this highly specialized cell.

Key words: oligodendrocyte; myelination; microtubule; cytoskeleton; microtubule polarity; microtubule stability; nocodazole

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. Lee, M. Gravel, R. Zhang, P. Thibault, and P. E. Braun Process outgrowth in oligodendrocytes is mediated by CNP, a novel microtubule assembly myelin protein J. Cell Biol., August 15, 2005; 170(4): 661 - 673. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Klein, E.-M. Kramer, A.-M. Cardine, B. Schraven, R. Brandt, and J. Trotter Process Outgrowth of Oligodendrocytes Is Promoted by Interaction of Fyn Kinase with the Cytoskeletal Protein Tau J. Neurosci., February 1, 2002; 22(3): 698 - 707. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. Ricard, V. Rogemond, E. Charrier, M. Aguera, D. Bagnard, M.-F. Belin, N. Thomasset, and J. Honnorat Isolation and Expression Pattern of Human Unc-33-Like Phosphoprotein 6/Collapsin Response Mediator Protein 5 (Ulip6/CRMP5): Coexistence with Ulip2/CRMP2 in Sema3A- Sensitive Oligodendrocytes J. Neurosci., September 15, 2001; 21(18): 7203 - 7214. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				N. Kobayashi, J. Reiser, W. Kriz, R. Kuriyama, and P. Mundel Nonuniform Microtubular Polarity Established by CHO1/MKLP1 Motor Protein Is Necessary for Process Formation of Podocytes J. Cell Biol., December 28, 1998; 143(7): 1961 - 1970. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home  |   Search  |   Archive  |   Subscribe  |   Contact  |   Help